Disk catching game and projector therefor



Jan. 16, 1968 M. J. GROSS 3,363,899

DISK CATCHING GAME AND PROJECTOR THEREFOR Filed Oct. 12, 1954 INVENTOR.

BY mm/iiww United States Patent Ofiice 3,363,899 DISK CATCHING GAME AND PROJECTOR THEREFOR Merrill J. Gross, 241 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215 Filed Oct. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 403,087 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-95) The present invention relates to an amusement game wherein game pieces are launched from a launching board and caught in a cup-like receptacle. More particularly the invention relates to such a game wherein the difficulty encountered in catching the game piece is dependent upon the diameter of the game pieces and the height of the cup-like receptacles.

It is one objective of the present invention to provide a game which is amusing to players of all ages and which can be played by any number of players. It is another objective to provide a game which requires skill, coordination and concentration to properly play, but which does not require a special knowledge of a complex set of rules. It is also another objective of the present invention to provide a game wherein the difficulty encountered in achieving the games objective can be varied so that even after frequent participation the game Will continue to provide a challenge.

In furtherance of these objectives, the present invention contemplates a game comprised of a launching board from which one of a plurality of various sized game pieces can be vertically launched by some sort of spring means such as a rubber band and wherein the object of the game is to catch the launched game piece in one of a plurality of cups secured to a paddle. The difliculty encountered in catching the game piece in the cup is varied depending upon the size of the game piece launched and the size of the cup in 'Which it is attempted to be caught.

The figure is a perspective view of an amusement game illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to the figure for a further and more detailed description of the invention, the game is comprised generally of a launching board 10, a catcher 11, and game pieces 12, 13 and 14.

The launching board consists of a platform or base section 15 and vertical posts 16, 17 and 18. The platform 10 and posts 16-18 can conveniently be made from wood or any other appropriate material. Posts 16-18 are secured along the longitudinal median of the base in any suitable manner such as by gluing and are spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the largest game piece. An elastic band 19 conveniently made from rubber, is stretched around the posts 16-18 to a degree of tautness which prevents it from sliding down the posts 16 and 18 when it is fully tensioned so as to touch the platform 15, adjacent the center post 17 as shown in dot-dash lines.

The catcher 11 consists of a paddle 20 and cups 22-24. The cups may be fabricated from plastic and are of varying depths. The inside diameter of all of the cups is greater than the diameter of any of the game pieces 12-14. The cups can be secured to the paddle by any suitable means, as for instance by gluing. The paddle 20 of the catcher 11 has a handle portion 25 which enables a player to grasp the catcher and to control it so that he can position it to catch a launched game piece.

As shown, game pieces 12-14 are circular and have the appearance of washers. However, they may be of any desired shape. For instance, to make the game more diflicult, square game pieces could be employed in combination with square or round cups.

The game pieces 12-14 have various diameters and each has an aperture 26 through its center. The apertures Patented Jan. 16, 1968 26 are slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the posts 16-18. The diameters of the game pieces are smaller than the diameter of the cups 22-24 so that they may be caught in the cups. The game pieces 12-14 are preferably fabricated from foam plastic or some other appropriate material of light weight.

To play the game, one selects a game piece, for example game piece 12 and places it over the middle post 17 so that the game piece embraces post 17 and rests on the rubber band 19, until the player desires to launch it. To launch the game piece, the player tensions it against the rubber band. When the band has been tensioned by the players finger as shown by the broken lines in the figure, the player releases his finger and the rubber band acts like a sling-shot to launch the game piece. Post 17 guides the game piece so that it is launched in a generally vertical direction.

The catcher 11, which is grasped by the hand of the player is used to attempt to catch the launched game piece. The degree of difficulty encountered in catching the game piece varies, depending upon the diameter of the game piece launched and the height of the cup in which the game piece is attempted to be caught. It is more difiicult to catch the larger diameter game pieces because they are more likely to hit the sides of the cups 22-24 and glance off. But the smaller diameter game pieces may be even more diflicult to catch because they can be propelled higher than the larger diameter ones. Also it is more diflicult to catch any of the game pieces in the cup having the shallowest depth since the game pieces bounce out more readily.

Although the game has been described with reference to only one participant, any number of participants can play. In order to determine who is the best player the cups 22-24 and game pieces 12-14 can be marked so that each piayers score can be kept and compared with the others. For example, the shallowest cup 22 which would be the one most unlikely to trap and retain a game piece can be marked 9, while the next shallowest cup could be marked 7, and the deepest 3. Similarly, the largest game piece could be marked 9, the smallest 7 and the intermediate one 3. To provide the younger participants with a lesson in arithmetic the score for each catch could be determined by multiplying the number on the game piece by the number given to the cup. In this manner the best score possible on one catch would be 81.

Although my invention has been described in its preferred embodiment with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that my present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the construction, combinations and arrangements of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, the rubber band could be eliminated as the launching means and a coil spring, surrounding the post 17 substituted. However, the rubber band provides a launching means which is adjustable as to launching power by slid ing it up or down the posts 16 and 18. Additionally, the rubber band, unlike a coil spring, is easily replaceable when it is lost or broken.

I claim:

1. A game comprising,

a plurality of various size game pieces, said game pieces having an aperture through their centers,

a launching board,

a plurality of posts secured to said launching board,

said posts having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the aperture in said game pieces,

a rubber band tensioned around said posts for launching said game pieces when they embrace one of said posts and are tensioned against said rubber band and them so that said rubber band may be stretched to released, and touch said launching board without slipping down a catcher for catching launched game pieces, said said posts,

catcher including a plurality of cups having different the diameter of said apertures each larger than the diheights. 5 ameter of said middle post, and 2. A game comprising, a catcher for catching launched game pieces including a plurality of circular game pieces, each having a difa handle and a plurality of cups having various ferent diameter and an aperture through its center, heights secured to said handle, said cups each having a launching board, an inside diameter greater than the largest diameter three posts secured in parallel fashion to said board, 10 of said game pieces. a rubber band encircling said posts and tensioned against two of them, R f n Cited the diameter of said apertures of said circular game UNITED STATES PATENTS pieces each larger than the diameter of the middle 300,415 6/1884 Van Allen 124 17 15 468,214 2/1892 Williams 273 100 a catcher for catching launched game pieces including a paddle having a plurality of cups of various FOREIGN PATENTS heights- 20,001 1892 Great Britain.

3. A game comprising,

a plurality of circular game pieces each having a dif- 20 ANTON (1 OECHSLE, Primary Ex i r.

ferent diameter and an aperture through its center,

a launching board, RIk/IiARD C. PINKHAM, Exammer.

three posts secured in parallel fashion to said board, M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner.

a rubber band encircling said posts and tensioned against 

1. A GAME COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF VARIOUS SIZE GAME PIECES, SAID GAME PIECES HAVING AN APERTURE THROUGH THEIR CENTERS, A LAUNCHING BOARD, A PLURALITY OF POSTS SECURED TO SAID LAUNCHING BOARD, SAID POSTS HAVING A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE APERTURE IN SAID GAME PIECES, A RUBBER BAND TENSIONED AROUND SAID POSTS FOR LAUNCHING SAID GAME PIECES WHEN THEY EMBRACE ONE OF SAID POSTS AND ARE TENSIONED AGAINST SAID RUBBER BAND AND RELEASED, AND A CATCHEER FOR CATCHING LAUNCHED GAME PIECES, SAID CATCHER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CUPS HAVING DIFFERENT HEIGHTS. 